Automatic chopstick cleaning device

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of chopstick automatic cleaning equipment, including feeding device, pre-washing device, flushing device and collection device, pre-washing device is located below feeding device;First conveying chain for conveying chopsticks is provided in pre-washing device;Flushing device is located below pre-washing device;Second conveying chain for conveying chopsticks is provided in flushing device;The conveying direction of second conveying chain is opposite to the conveying direction of first conveying chain. By sequentially setting feeding device, pre-washing device and flushing device from top to bottom, the conveying direction of first conveying chain in pre-washing device is set opposite to the conveying direction of second conveying chain in flushing device, and the length of the entire chopstick automatic cleaning equipment is shortened, and the floor area is reduced. The pre-washing device first soaks and brushes the chopsticks, and then the flushing device flushes, and the decontamination effect is better.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automatic chopsticks cleaning technology, and in particular to an automatic chopsticks cleaning device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, tableware packaging companies typically use a single conveyor belt to clean chopsticks. They are first immersed in an oil-removing tank, or rinsed with air bubbles, to remove surface impurities and heavy oil before entering a spray system for final rinsing. This single conveyor belt system results in a long and bulky cleaning system. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This utility model provides an automatic chopsticks cleaning device to solve the technical problem that the existing chopsticks cleaning device, which uses a single conveyor chain to transport chopsticks, is relatively large and occupies a large area.

[0004] This utility model provides an automatic chopsticks cleaning device, comprising: The feeding device is used to arrange the chopsticks. A pre-cleaning device is provided, the inlet of which is connected to the outlet of the feeding device, and the pre-cleaning device is located below the feeding device; the pre-cleaning device is used to soak and scrub chopsticks; a first conveyor chain for conveying chopsticks is provided inside the pre-cleaning device. A rinsing device is provided, the inlet of which is connected to the outlet of the pre-cleaning device; the rinsing device is located below the pre-cleaning device; the rinsing device is used to rinse chopsticks; a second conveyor chain is provided inside the rinsing device for conveying chopsticks; the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain is opposite to that of the first conveyor chain. The rinsing device includes a rinsing pool and a showering mechanism, with the showering mechanism installed on the rinsing pool; the showering mechanism sprays water onto the chopsticks through spray nozzles. A collection device is located at the outlet of the rinsing device and is used to collect the washed chopsticks.

[0005] In one embodiment of the present invention, the collecting device includes a guiding mechanism and a collecting box. The guiding mechanism is used to guide the washed chopsticks to the collecting box; the collecting box is located below the guiding mechanism.

[0006] In one embodiment of the present invention, the guiding mechanism includes a first guide plate, a second guide plate, and a third guide plate. The first guide plate is connected to the outlet of the rinsing pool, the second guide plate is connected to the side of the first guide plate away from the rinsing pool, and the third guide plate is spaced apart from the second guide plate, forming a guide slide between the second guide plate and the third guide plate.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, limiting plates are provided on both sides of the first guide plate.

[0008] In one embodiment of this utility model, both the second guide plate and the third guide plate are arc-shaped.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the top of the third guide plate is higher than the connection point between the first guide plate and the second guide plate.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the guiding mechanism further includes a guiding funnel, which is located between the second guide plate and the collection box.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rinsing device further includes an air blowing mechanism and a drying mechanism. The rinsing mechanism, the air blowing mechanism, and the drying mechanism are sequentially arranged on the rinsing pool along the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain. The air blowing mechanism is used to blow away the water on the chopsticks, and the drying mechanism is used to dry the chopsticks.

[0012] In one embodiment of this utility model, the showering mechanism is provided with a plurality of shower pipes along the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain, the extending direction of the shower pipes intersecting the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain, and each shower pipe is provided with a plurality of spray heads; the shower pipes are connected to a water source through water pipes and water pumps; the air blowing mechanism is provided with a plurality of air jet pipes along the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain, the extending direction of the air jet pipes intersecting the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain, and each air jet pipe is provided with a plurality of air jet heads; the air jet heads are connected to an air source through air pipes.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, a drain pipe is connected to the bottom of the rinsing pool.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: The automatic chopsticks cleaning device proposed in this utility model shortens the overall length of the device and reduces its floor space by arranging the feeding device, pre-cleaning device, and rinsing device sequentially from top to bottom, and by setting the conveying direction of the first conveyor chain in the pre-cleaning device to be opposite to that of the second conveyor chain in the rinsing device. The pre-cleaning device first soaks and scrubs the chopsticks, followed by rinsing, resulting in better cleaning. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0016] In the attached diagram: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the automatic chopsticks cleaning device provided by this utility model; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A sectional view; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of A in the middle; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the rinsing and collecting devices.

[0017] The attached figures are labeled as follows: Feeding device 100, pre-cleaning device 200, rinsing device 300, second conveyor chain 301, rinsing mechanism 302, spray head 303, air blowing mechanism 304, air jet head 305, drying mechanism 306, rinsing tank 307, collecting device 400, guiding mechanism 401, first guide plate 402, second guide plate 403, third guide plate 404, collecting box 405, limiting plate 406, guiding funnel 407, guiding slide 408. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this utility model from the content disclosed in this specification. This utility model can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments. Various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this utility model. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0019] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of the present invention. The drawings only show the components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components. In actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0020] In the following description, numerous details are explored to provide a more thorough explanation of embodiments of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other embodiments, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form rather than in detail to avoid obscuring embodiments of the present invention.

[0021] Please see Figures 1 to 4 This utility model provides an automatic chopsticks cleaning device, including a feeding device 100, a pre-cleaning device 200, a rinsing device 300, and a collecting device 400. The feeding device 100, the pre-cleaning device 200, and the rinsing device 300 are arranged from top to bottom along the height direction of the automatic chopsticks cleaning device to form a continuous and efficient automated cleaning production line.

[0022] The feeding device 100 is used to organize the chopsticks. An agitator within the feeding device 100 causes the chopsticks to enter the pre-cleaning device 200 one by one, ensuring thorough cleaning of each chopstick. Compared to the traditional method of feeding multiple chopsticks at once for centralized cleaning, this single-chopstick feeding and step-by-step cleaning design significantly improves the thoroughness and uniformity of the cleaning. It effectively removes food residue and grease from the surface of the chopsticks, greatly reducing the risk of secondary contamination due to blind spots in cleaning. It is particularly suitable for catering establishments, canteens, or food processing enterprises with high hygiene standards.

[0023] The inlet of the pre-cleaning device 200 is connected to the outlet of the feeding device 100, and the pre-cleaning device 200 is located below the feeding device 100. The pre-cleaning device 200 is used for soaking and scrubbing the chopsticks. An oil-removing tank is installed inside the pre-cleaning device 200, and a scrubbing mechanism is installed at the end of the oil-removing tank. The oil-removing tank first soaks the chopsticks, and then the scrubbing mechanism scrubs them. The pre-cleaning device 200 mainly undertakes the preliminary cleaning task of the chopsticks. Through a combination of soaking and scrubbing, it first softens the attached stains, and then removes stubborn residues from the surface through mechanical scrubbing. An ultrasonic vibrator can also be installed in the oil-removing tank to vibrate away residues on the surface of the chopsticks.

[0024] The pre-washing device 200 has a first conveyor chain inside for conveying the chopsticks, allowing them to move slowly and continuously during soaking to prevent accumulation. The inlet of the rinsing device 300 is connected to and located below the outlet of the pre-washing device 200. The rinsing device 300 is responsible for giving the pre-treated chopsticks a final high-pressure spray rinse to ensure no detergent residue and thorough rinsing.

[0025] The rinsing device 300 is equipped with a second conveyor chain 301 for conveying chopsticks; the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain 301 is opposite to that of the first conveyor chain. This shortens the length of the feeding device 100 and reduces the floor space it occupies.

[0026] The rinsing device 300 includes a rinsing tank 307 and a rinsing mechanism 302, which is installed on the rinsing tank 307. The rinsing mechanism 302 sprays water onto the chopsticks through a spray head 303. A drain pipe is connected to the bottom of the rinsing tank 307 to drain the wastewater from rinsing the chopsticks.

[0027] The collection device 400 is located at the outlet of the rinsing device 300 and is used to collect the cleaned chopsticks.

[0028] The rinsing device 300 includes a rinsing basin 307 for holding chopsticks and rinsing water, and a rinsing mechanism 302 mounted on the rinsing basin 307. Specifically, the rinsing mechanism 302 is detachably mounted at the top opening of the rinsing basin 307, or fixed to the bottom of the rinsing basin 307 by a support column. The core function of the rinsing mechanism 302 is to spray water towards the chopsticks in the rinsing basin 307 through a plurality of spray nozzles 303 mounted thereon.

[0029] In some embodiments, the spray nozzles 303 can be arranged in rows or arrays to ensure that the water spray covers all surfaces of the chopsticks, achieving thorough cleaning. For example, the rinsing mechanism 302 includes a plurality of rinsing pipes arranged along the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain 301, the extending direction of the rinsing pipes intersecting the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain 301, and each rinsing pipe is provided with a plurality of spray nozzles 303; the rinsing pipes are connected to a water source through water pipes and a water pump. In this embodiment, the rinsing pipes are arranged along the width direction of the rinsing pool 307, and the rinsing pipes are perpendicular to the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain 301, which is equivalent to the rinsing pipes spanning across the rinsing pool 307.

[0030] In some embodiments, the rinsing device 300 further includes an air blowing mechanism 304 and a drying mechanism 306. The rinsing mechanism 302, the air blowing mechanism 304, and the drying mechanism 306 are sequentially arranged on the rinsing tank 307 along the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain 301. The air blowing mechanism 304 is used to blow away the water on the chopsticks; the drying mechanism 306 is used to dry the chopsticks. First, the chopsticks pass through the rinsing mechanism 302 and are rinsed by the water spray head 303 to remove residual dirt; then, the chopsticks enter the air blowing mechanism 304, where the air blowing mechanism 304 uses a high-speed airflow to blow away most of the water adhering to the surface of the chopsticks, completing the initial dehydration; finally, the chopsticks arrive at the drying mechanism 306, where the residual moisture is completely evaporated by hot air or other means, making them dry enough to be directly packaged or used. This sequential layout conforms to cleaning logic and is highly energy efficient.

[0031] In some embodiments, the air blowing mechanism 304 includes a plurality of air jet pipes arranged along the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain 301, the extension direction of the air jet pipes intersecting the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain 301, and each air jet pipe is provided with a plurality of air jet heads 305; the air jet heads 305 are connected to an air source through an air pipe. The air blowing pipes and the spray pipes extend in the same direction. Multiple air jet pipes are connected to an air source through a main air supply line. The plurality of air jet heads 305 on each air jet pipe convert compressed air into a dense airflow that is sprayed onto the chopsticks. This centralized air supply and distributed spray design ensures the uniformity and stability of the blowing force, and can efficiently complete the task of removing moisture from the surface of the chopsticks.

[0032] In some embodiments, the collecting device 400 mainly includes a guiding mechanism 401 and a collecting bin 405. The guiding mechanism 401 is used to receive the washed chopsticks from the upper second conveyor chain 301 and smoothly guide them into the collecting bin 405. Specifically, as Figure 3 As shown, the guiding mechanism 401 includes a first guide plate 402, a second guide plate 403, and a third guide plate 404. One end of the first guide plate 402 is connected to the outlet end of the rinsing pool 307, and the other end of the first guide plate 402 is suspended above the opening of the collection box 405. The first guide plate 402 tilts downward from the rinsing pool 307 toward the second guide plate 403.

[0033] The second guide plate 403 is connected to the side of the first guide plate 402 away from the rinsing pool 307. The third guide plate 404 is parallel to and spaced apart from the second guide plate 403, forming a narrow guide slide 408 of uniform width between them. The guide slide 408 can effectively limit the rolling and lateral displacement of the chopsticks, ensuring that they slide orderly into the collection box 405 directly below.

[0034] The first guide plate 402 is connected to the rinsing pool 307, the second guide plate 403 is connected to the side of the first guide plate 402 away from the rinsing pool 307, and the third guide plate 404 is spaced apart from the second guide plate 403, forming a guide slide 408 between the second guide plate 403 and the third guide plate 404.

[0035] In some embodiments, limiting plates 406 are vertically disposed at both sides of the first guide plate 402. The limiting plates 406 and the first guide plate 402 together form a guide groove. When chopsticks fall from the second conveyor chain 301 into the first guide plate 402, their posture may be somewhat random. The distance between the limiting plates 406 on both sides is slightly longer than the length of the chopsticks. The limiting plates 406 on both sides can effectively prevent chopsticks from rolling laterally off the first guide plate 402, ensuring that all chopsticks are constrained within a predetermined width range and smoothly enter the guide slide 408 formed by the second guide plate 403 and the third guide plate 404, thereby avoiding production interruptions caused by chopsticks getting stuck or falling.

[0036] In some embodiments, the second guide plate 403 and the third guide plate 404 are arc-shaped. The direction of the arc is opposite to the sliding direction of the chopsticks on the first guide plate 402, which slows down the falling speed of the chopsticks. The arc shape of the second guide plate 403 and the third guide plate 404 makes the guide slide 408 formed between them a smooth curved path. Compared with a simple inclined straight guide slide, firstly, it can effectively buffer and regulate the falling speed of the chopsticks by controlling centrifugal force, preventing them from splashing out of the collection box 405 due to excessive acceleration; secondly, the arc-shaped path helps the chopsticks to naturally adjust from a potentially messy flat state to a more consistent posture during the falling process, so that they fall more neatly into the collection box 405 below.

[0037] In some embodiments, a guide structure is also provided at the inlet of the rinsing device 300 to guide the chopsticks from the pre-rinsing device 200 to the second conveyor chain.

[0038] In some embodiments, the top of the third guide plate 404 is higher than the connection point between the first guide plate 402 and the second guide plate 403. When the chopsticks fall from the second conveyor chain 301 into the first guide plate 402 and begin to slide downwards, the top of the third guide plate 404 forms a physical barrier. The third guide plate 404 effectively cushions and blocks the chopsticks, preventing them from flying directly out of the guide mechanism 401 due to inertia, ensuring that all chopsticks can be accurately guided into the guide slide 408 formed by the second guide plate 403 and the third guide plate 404, thereby avoiding blockage or material loss at the entrance.

[0039] In some embodiments, the guiding mechanism 401 further includes a guiding funnel 407, which is located between the second guide plate 403, the third guide plate 404, and the collection box 405, i.e., the guiding funnel 407 is located at the end of the guide chute 408. The guiding funnel 407 receives the chopsticks that fall from the guide chute 408 and performs final collection and flow direction control. The pre-cleaning device 200, the rinsing device 300, and the collection device 400 are installed in a large box, and the feeding device 100 is installed on the top of the box. An opening is provided on the side of the box for the collection box 405 to enter and exit.

[0040] Work process: After being manually bundled, the dirty chopsticks are fed into the equipment. They first enter the feeding device 100, and are then preliminarily sorted and queued by a stirring mechanism, so that they enter the pre-cleaning device 200 one by one.

[0041] After the chopsticks enter the pre-cleaning device 200, they are conveyed to the degreasing tank by the first conveyor chain for soaking, vibration and then brushing. This removes most of the dirt and oil stains that are strongly attached to the surface of the chopsticks, completing the initial, high-volume coarse wash and reducing the load for the subsequent fine wash.

[0042] The chopsticks enter the rinsing tank 307 via the second conveyor chain 301. The rinsing mechanism 302 is activated, and multiple water spray nozzles 303 perform a thorough, all-around final rinse of the chopsticks to ensure cleanliness. After rinsing, the chopsticks enter the air blowing mechanism 304. Multiple air jets 305 spray high-speed air downwards, forcibly blowing away the large number of water droplets adhering to the surface of the chopsticks, achieving efficient dehydration. Finally, the dehydrated chopsticks enter the drying mechanism 306. The drying mechanism 306 evaporates any remaining trace moisture by blowing hot air, bringing the chopsticks to a relatively dry state.

[0043] After being washed and dried, the chopsticks are conveyed from the end of the second conveyor chain 301 and enter the guide mechanism 401 of the collection device 400. The chopsticks first fall onto the first guide plate 402, where limiting plates 406 on both sides prevent them from scattering laterally. The chopsticks then slide into the guide channel 408 formed by the second guide plate 403 and the third guide plate 404. The guide channel 408 controls the sliding speed and maintains the chopsticks' posture. Finally, the chopsticks pass through the guide funnel 407 and are concentrated and smoothly guided into the collection box 405 below, ensuring neat stacking.

[0044] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this utility model should still be covered by the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. An automatic chopsticks cleaning device, characterized in that, include: The feeding device is used to arrange the chopsticks. A pre-cleaning device is provided, the inlet of which is connected to the outlet of the feeding device, and the pre-cleaning device is located below the feeding device; the pre-cleaning device is used to soak and scrub chopsticks; a first conveyor chain for conveying chopsticks is provided inside the pre-cleaning device. A rinsing device is provided, the inlet of which is connected to the outlet of the pre-cleaning device; the rinsing device is located below the pre-cleaning device; the rinsing device is used to rinse chopsticks; a second conveyor chain for conveying chopsticks is provided inside the rinsing device; the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain is opposite to that of the first conveyor chain. The rinsing device includes a rinsing pool and a showering mechanism, with the showering mechanism installed on the rinsing pool; the showering mechanism sprays water onto the chopsticks through spray nozzles. A collection device is located at the outlet of the rinsing device and is used to collect the washed chopsticks.

2. The automatic chopsticks cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The collection device includes a guide mechanism and a collection box. The guide mechanism is used to guide the washed chopsticks to the collection box. The collection box is located below the guide mechanism.

3. The automatic chopsticks cleaning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The guiding mechanism includes a first guide plate, a second guide plate, and a third guide plate. The first guide plate is connected to the outlet of the rinsing pool, the second guide plate is connected to the side of the first guide plate away from the rinsing pool, and the third guide plate is spaced apart from the second guide plate to form a guide slide.

4. The automatic chopsticks cleaning device according to claim 3, characterized in that: Limiting plates are provided on both sides of the first guide plate.

5. The automatic chopsticks cleaning device according to claim 3, characterized in that: Both the second guide plate and the third guide plate are arc-shaped.

6. The automatic chopsticks cleaning device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The top of the third guide plate is higher than the connection point between the first guide plate and the second guide plate.

7. The automatic chopsticks cleaning device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The guiding mechanism further includes a guide funnel, which is located between the second guide plate and the collection box.

8. The automatic chopsticks cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rinsing device further includes an air blowing mechanism and a drying mechanism. The rinsing mechanism, the air blowing mechanism, and the drying mechanism are sequentially arranged on the rinsing pool along the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain. The air blowing mechanism is used to blow away the water on the chopsticks, and the drying mechanism is used to dry the chopsticks.

9. The automatic chopsticks cleaning device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The showering mechanism comprises several shower pipes arranged along the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain. The extension direction of each shower pipe intersects the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain, and each shower pipe is provided with several spray heads. The shower pipes are connected to a water source through water pipes and a water pump. The air blowing mechanism includes several air jet pipes arranged along the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain. The extension direction of each air jet pipe intersects the conveying direction of the second conveyor chain, and each air jet pipe is provided with several air jet heads. The air jet heads are connected to an air source through air pipes.

10. The automatic chopsticks cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the rinsing pool is connected to a drain pipe.

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